Managing One Project with Multiple Sub-Projects

[Kent]

The situation: I manage one project that has six different areas that I want
to treat as sub-projects - each of the six areas has its own lead or project
manager and each needs to manage his/her own schedule.

My goal: Each lead gets control over their schedule and resources, and we
have a file that we can see the tasks and milestone for each area in one
place.

So, I am thinking that I have one .mpp that is the Resource Pool, and six
individual .mpp's that the leads control, and one Master .mpp with each of
the six sub-projects inserted into it.

So, the questions:

1. Is the resource pool going to be a problem? If a lead has to open the
Resource Pool .mpp every time they want to work on their sub-project .mpp, it
basically means that no one else can work on their sub-project until the
Resource Pool .mpp is free. Is this correct?

2. Levelling: The leads will level their sub-projects, do I want to level in
Master .mpp as well? Does this run the risk of changing their levelling and
their plans?

3. Do we all need to level the same way, and set each person's levelling
options to be the same and keep it that way?

I am reading the MS Project help section, going through this message board
and re-reading the Tech Trax website, but any help or advice would be greatly
appreciated, either with answers here or links to external information.

Thanks
Kent

 

[Tim D.]

I have set up our "Master Project"with a "Master Resource Pool"; exactly as
you are proposing.

The issue I have is that the Resource file is absorbing the manhours from
each project, and adding them cumulatively to each successive project that is
linked to it.

This results in many more man-hours, and "unassigned" hours in the total
master report.

I unlinked each sub file; and linked only the master file to the resource
pool, with the correct totals, but it repeats the resources for each project,
instead of consolidating them.

Does anyone know how to solve this one??

Regards;

Tim

 

[davegb]

The situation: I manage one project that has six different areas that I want
to treat as sub-projects - each of the six areas has its own lead or project
manager and each needs to manage his/her own schedule.

My goal: Each lead gets control over their schedule and resources, and we
have a file that we can see the tasks and milestone for each area in one
place.

So, I am thinking that I have one .mpp that is the Resource Pool, and six
individual .mpp's that the leads control, and one Master .mpp with each of
the six sub-projects inserted into it.

So, the questions:

1. Is the resource pool going to be a problem? If a lead has to open the
Resource Pool .mpp every time they want to work on their sub-project .mpp, it
basically means that no one else can work on their sub-project until the
Resource Pool .mpp is free. Is this correct?

Not really. If someone else has the file open, they can make edits.
When they save their edits, the RP will be opened briefly to update,
even if someone else has it open.

2. Levelling: The leads will level their sub-projects, do I want to level in
Master .mpp as well? Does this run the risk of changing their levelling and
their plans?

No. Even though you have only one project open, the resource usage will
reflect all projects. It will level based on all resource needs.

3. Do we all need to level the same way, and set each person's levelling
options to be the same and keep it that way?

Not sure on this one. I don't recall this being the case, but it's been
awhile. Maybe someone else can comment.

I am reading the MS Project help section, going through this message board
and re-reading the Tech Trax website, but any help or advice would be greatly
appreciated, either with answers here or links to external information.

Thanks
Kent

Hope this helps in your world.